Rhode Island History A RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAl, SOCIETY PUBLICATIO N r------------------------------------------- --------------------- To Our Readers: II0 ~1lbu Street Provi<kncr. Rl 02906 rd 401.331.8575 As many of you know, because of Rhode Island's serious fax 401.351.0127 financial difficulties the state has cut $150,000 from its support www:rihs.org of the Rhode Island Historical Society. We arc therefore Preoi<kut looking throughout the organization for ways to save money, Roberc J. Manning and Rhode Island Hist01y must be scrutinized as well. Exec.urh>e Directot Bernard P. Fishman In an effort to cut costs without sacrificing quality, begirming with the next volume the Rhode Island Historical Society will John Brown Hoose publish Rhode Island His fOIJ' twice rather than three times Musrum a year, thus providing considerable savings on postage. At 52 Power 5c=r the same time, the number of pages in each individual issue I~RI02906 td 401.273.7507 will increase substantially, not only enabling us to continue fax 401.75 I .2307 providing our readers with the same amount of high-quality scholarship as before but perhaps even allowing us to introduce IJbrary more variety into the publication. 121 HopeSm:et Providence, Rl 02906 rd 401.273.8107 We sincerely hope that you, our readers, will understand the fax 401.751.7930 change, and we thank you for your continuing support. Museum of Work & Culrure Luther Spochr, Ph.D. 42 South Main Stteet Chairman WOClfi.<Oekcr, Rl 02895 tel 401.769.9675 RJHS Publications Committee fax 401.767.2905 L_____ -- Cleattl People's govmror ill April1842, ·n,omas Wilso11 Dorr scmgiJt to wls.qy bis iusurgalt govcmmeut by sciziug cJ,e state arscmll iu Providmcc the followi»g IIJ<>Ilth. l).,gllerrco tn>e, .1842, R/,oclc lsl,wd Stn t<: ArciJi vc;. Rhode Island History f!all2006 Volume 66, Number 3 Published by The Rhode Island Historical Sociery 110 Be<tevolenr Street Providence, RJtode Island 02906· 3152 Contents Robert]. Man11i11g, president A Call to Arms: WilliamS. Simmo>~s, first vice president Thomas Wilson Dorr's Forceful Effort llarbora]. 1 l>onttcm, ,,ccund vice pr<sident to Implement the People's Constitution 59 tre•sureo· Peter J. Miniati, HOWARD R. ERNST Ro/Jert G. Flamlers Jr., secretary Dtnuml P. Fisim>all, director Rhode Island Book Notes A Selection of Recent Tides 81 FELLOW OF THE SOCIETY Glenn W LaFmuasie Index to Volume 66 82 PuRr.tCATIONS CaMMJTTH Lr<tl>tr Spoel>r, ch~ir }t~mes Fi11dlay Ro&rrt Allm Grunt Robert W H<IJIIUI» ]. Sta11lcy Lemons William McKc>IZi< Woodward S·ri\H Elizal~etiJ C. Scet•r.ns, editor llillit~rd Beller, copy editor Silvia Rus, publicarions assistant T11e R11ode Island Historical Sociery ~ssuntcs no responsibility for the opinions of contributors. RHODE ISLAND HISTORY is publisbed three times a year by the Rhode Island Historical Society at 110 Bc1tcvole.\! Street. Providence. Rhode Isbnd 02906-3152. Postage is paid at Providence, Rhode Mand. Society members receive ea<h issue as a membership benefit.lnstitutional subscriptions to RHODE ISLAND lllSTORY are $25.00 annually. lndivid<.~al cnpies ofcurrent and back iss<.~e., are ~v•ilablc fmm ©2008 by '!he Rhode Island I listotic~l Society the Snciety fnr $8.00 (price include., postage and handling). Manuscrip1s ~nd 01hcr corn·spondencc should RHOOii ISLAND HTS'J'ORY (ISSN UU3S·4619) be senr ro Eli~abcrh C. Stevens, t·diiOr, at the Society. A Call to Arms: Thomas Wilson Dorr's Forceful Effort to Implement the People's Constitution In the spring of 1842 Rhode [s/and wa.s tom bcttvcen pmmise of military assistance from supporters HOWARD .ll. RR.NS'l' competi11g lcg<~l systniiS, rival governors, aiJI~ scpn­ in New York, Thomas Wilson Don returned to 1 Iowm·d R. t:nHt ;j lHI ll.SSf'd ~Jh.' p,·~fcs5i.1f c.1j' mte legislative assemblies. Tlw People's govcmment Rhode 1sland to settle unfinished business. The politic-.ol S€iencc .or t/,,• United Src!I~J N~o•al Jloc>demy ''' Allluopolis. Morylan.l. He ~Vould wm kd by ThomllS Wilsou Don: Dorr cmd his People's governor departed the Empire State likr to tl!ll>lk N.11!5(1/ J. Dc8imPIIt, Bill McQumlt•, f<lllowm Jomrdul their government o11 the idc,ll of by ferry on Sacurday evening. May 14, 1842, Jolm Pimtymki, "'"i the profmio>Jcol stulfs of rl>t populm· sor,ercignty, with a C01Jstitutio11 that was and traveling up Long lsland Sound, he pa.~sed .Jolm 1Iny Libr.ny, Rl>c>.f,• lsla11d Slllt<' Arcl>iFe;, mrd RIJodc [;/crud I Ii scorical Society i•r assi~ti>Jg ratified by ar1 UllllUthorizcd popular rcftrendwn tilt: t:ishers Island and arrived at cbe small seaside l>is rcsurr.-1> o>J rbi< (i~y, nm/ Jeff .i\11drrsou, Hml previoll.< wimcr. govcmment led town of Stonington, Connecticut, <.-.arly Sun­ The Charter was by Roll. 1',111/ C~rw«. Toncry F.mst, Kl<'ill Hn11 q, 1 Govemor Samfl t~l Ward King. Ki11g's J(OVCY/11111~/It day morning. By 2:00P.M. word had read1ed D<r<mjarboll•. %ao v11 Lou~/"''"'' ' Mouricio receiv!'d its autiJority .from Rhode Islnnd5 origi11nl Providence chat Dorr was in Stonington, and Moure, TomlVfowk, and Mdis.!<o St.wg.ojar rrl'it•wiug tmd pro••;tlmg va,uablc .mggeitituu em royal charter of 1663, whic/, the stntc had j(Jilcd to by day's end a group of cwo hnndred support­ ,·,u·licr dr~Ji5. 1 Ie '''"' wii/Jes to o:tt11rl spai.cl n·place witiJ a modem comtillltiotl after severing its ers, many carrying small arms, had co me to tlm>~b to Don R,·bdli~n aurlwriry Patrick T. ties with 1nglancl. 'liJC C1>arter govemmwt jHsti­ Stonington by special tntin to greet their leader. C.H~Iry. n4x> made sever,)/ sul>slc!llti,ll imp!'Mc· me>JIS 1<•1/)(. (;;oy. .ficd its authority 1101 by popular ronsent but by the Early the next morning Governor Dorr and his legitimncy that mmc with ncnrly two hundred yMn armed entourage boarded rht: Stonington Line cif. relatively stnblc cmd prosperous govcma11ce. and traveled by rail to the Providence depot on Roth govcnmrents claimed to be tilt! legitilllate /\liens Avenue, arriving there ac I 0:00 A.M.J. authority of the state, mul tl>e supporters of encl> With abour three thousand supporters side, includi11g armcrlmilitim. swore to dcfwd thc:ir turning out to greet him, Dorr was trt:ated co a respective gMcmlnt:nts. '1/)c rival groups worked hero's welcome upon his arrival in Providence. hard to wi11 allies withiu tbe federal govemmc11t An impromptu parade of twelve hundred fol­ <111d neighbo1·ing states. The J~dcral gove mmwt re­ lowers, a quarter of whom were a rmcd, formed luctmllly supported tlJ<? Che1rt.er silk and promi.<f(l a procession that snaked through the dry's to send federal troop; to R/Jo.ic Tslaml should tile streets for more than two hom.s.'1 'lhe line of conflict tum l'iobll. Le,diug authorities in ll eigh­ m<.-chanics, roughnecks, and ocher working­ l>oriug ste1tes, illchtdingMmc<i militiou iu New York, class citizens included a hu11dred members of wc1-c outr.1ged by this nppnrcm fedcml mc~Jd/ i11g organized militias, seventy-five men on horse­ at~<~ pleclgrd support }or ciJc People's goverHmcllt. back, and a boisterous marching hand. At the 'fl1is essay tells tile sto1y (~f tl>e miliwry c.ol~(ron­ head of the line was Governor Dorr, carrying tation thlll wifolded when Thomas Dorr aud l>is a sword and riding in an open-air barouche sr!pportcrs ,Jtlt:lllptcd In forcejidly unplcmwt tfJe pulled by a team of four white horses. P~oplc's COI/stituticlll ill till~ sp ri11g 41842. From alleys and windows chose on the Charrcr side watched the scene in disgust and horror.1h:. Charter regime's sheriffof Providence, r Iavi ng ftiled tO win the 5upport of Pn:sid<.-nt Roger Ptlttcr, held an arrest warrant for Dort; John Tyler in W.tshington, bur granted rhe but he dared not execute it; along with orher 60 A CALL TO ARMS Charter officials, he viewed the procession from elections, one in favor of the People's Consritlltion a safe distance. 4 Armed men were now defi­ and anorher in favor of d1e People's government, antly parading through the ciry's streets, and che and they had indirectly supported rhe ideas in a state's established authorities appeared power· rhird statewide election, one in which a m,Yoriry less to stop them. "When 1 saw Dorr himself uf the state's voters rejected the Charterite-dra.fted surveying wirh cool arrocicy, streets through Landholders' Constitution. which he had determined to spread dismay and Dorr restated the case that legitimate govern· death-when I saw all this and no hand to pre· mental authority is derived &om the consent of vent it, I confess that my faith in Rhode Island the governed and that the majoriry of the states courage and love of liberty nearly failed me," population had d1osen co replace the Charter said one Charter supporter. "My blood boiled government wirh the democratically elected wirh indignation:·s People's government. H e recounted the ills Doer's parade ended at the home of Burrington suffered under the old regime, including malap­ Anthony, a former federal marshal who had portionment ofthe General Assembly and limited been elected as the People's sheriff of Provi­ suffi·age. He condemned the Assembly for enact· dence.